The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Typically, a body cast is used to immobilize the hips and thighs of a patient to assist in the healing of bones, muscles and tendons. Body casts are typically used on children following surgery or a reduction to hold the hips in a position that facilitates bone growth. The casts may begin at the chest and extend to cover both legs down to the toes or knee, or one leg down to the toes or knee and the other leg down to the hip or knee. A similar type of cast known as an abduction boot extends from the upper thigh of each leg down to the foot.
Often, medical patient recordkeeping systems usually involve charts containing information relating to the treatment of the patient and personal identification systems such as medical patient wristbands worn by the medical patient to correlate the patient, the patient's records, and the patient's treatment. Providers of medical services have a strong interest in maintaining accurate medical patient information in the most efficient manner possible.
It is known in the art of medical patient recordkeeping to make printed adhesive labels for affixation to a medical patient's medical charts. It is further well known to print wristbands for medical patients to wear for identification. The making of such chart and wristband labels has historically been done by hand. With the advent of computers, the making of chart labels became easier, especially where such chart labels could be printed on a single sheet of adhesive label paper on a computer printer.
Other proposals have involved protecting the body with a cast and labeling a medical patient. The problem with these systems is that they do not provide both functions simultaneously. Even though the above cited body cast and medical labeling systems meets some of the needs of the market, a system and method for donning and labeling a body cast to enable facilitated donning and informative labeling of a body cast; and whereby the body cast is easily labeled with patient information, so as to provide the dual purpose of supporting the body and accessing patient information directly on the body of the patient, is still desired.